Head of Cancer Genetics at the Institute of Cancer Research, London
& The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Professor Nazneen Rahman is a doctor and a scientist, making her a perfect conduit between the NHS and
scientific research. Nazneen studied medicine at St Hughes College, Oxford and graduated in 1991. She then
completed a PhD in molecular genetics at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in 1999, looking specifically
at the molecular genetics of Wilms tumour.

Nazneen completed her clinical training and obtained her
certificate of completion of specialist training in clinical genetics
in 2001. She now works as Head of the Division of Genetics
and Epidemiology at the ICR and Head of the Cancer Genetics
Unit at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. Together
these form the ICR/RM Clinical Academic Genetics Unit. She is
Director of the Translational Genomics Laboratory (TGL) clinical
gene testing laboratory at the ICR. Through her research, she has

provided screening and treatment options for NHS patients when
it comes to cancer genetics. Thousands of families participate
in her research studies, which have been highly successful in
identifying genes that cause cancer and has performed gene testing
for many thousands of individuals, not eligible for NHS testing.
She is an internationally recognised expert on cancer
predisposition genes and has discovered many such genes,
particularly for breast, ovarian and childhood cancers. She
is currently leading two innovative translational research
programmes. The Mainstreaming Cancer Genetics (MCG)
programme is undertaking the technological, scientific and
translational work required to make cancer disposition gene
testing part of routine cancer care. Her other project, the
Transforming Genetic Medicine Initiative (TGMI) is building
the knowledge base, tools and processes required to deliver the
promise of genetic medicine.
Nazneen blogs regularly about her work including on
Harvesting the Genome. She engages with both the public and
the scientific community on scientific and medical issues, using
social media such as Twitter and a new blog entitled Transforming
Genetic Medicine Initiative.
In 2010, Nazneen was elected a Fellow of the Academy of
Medical Sciences, and at that time she had already identified
and characterised four breast cancer predisposition genes, two
childhood cancer predisposition genes and two overgrowth
genes. In 2014, she was named as Britain’s third most influential
woman in the BBC Woman’s Hour Power List 2014 and was
recognised in the Evening Standard’s annual list of the 1000 most
influential Londoner’s under the category of innovators for the
past three years.
In 2016, she was awarded the Services to Science and
Engineering Award at the British Muslim Awards and later that
year she received a CBE for services to medical science.
When she is not working, Nazneen plays the piano in her
sitting-room every day and is a singer-songwriter. She started
recording in 2011 and launched an album, Can’t Clip My Wings,
in 2014.
* Favourite Film: Legally Blonde
* Three objects Nazneen cannot live without: My piano,
A snuggly blanket (I don’t do cold), Some means to contact
my loved ones

Nazneen’s advice to junior doctors is “It is all worth it. In the years to come, you will always feel proud of these years.”